


tell me if you wanna go home

by unsaidliz



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Movie: Begin Again, there's a lot of fluff so beware, this is my comfort ship so i want them happy at all costs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27094198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsaidliz/pseuds/unsaidliz
Summary: Julie thought she had lost everything when her mother passed away and her music was stolen by someone she thought she loved. Luke felt his music career crumbling at the seams. An open mic night and a chance encounter between the two would change their lives forever.Inspired by the film Begin Again, directed by John Carney.
Relationships: Alex & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Nick/Carrie Wilson
Comments: 47
Kudos: 307





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to read and support this story! I am working really hard on this story and I appreciate anyone who simply takes the time to open this story up. This AU is inspired by one of my favorite movies, Begin Again, starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, and more (the film has an amazing cast okay just thought I'd mention). It's an amazing film and I would highly recommend you watch it before reading if you want the full experience. However, you can still enjoy the story without watching the film as it was simply an inspiration for this story! I have altered the original film's plot to fit with the characters better as well as excluded any explicit content from the original film; I also made the characters slightly older (still teenagers/young adults) to better fit with the story. The story will include both songs from Julie and the Phantoms as well as from Begin Again. 
> 
> I love Palina with all of my heart and hope I do them justice with this story. Thanks once again for your support and I hope you enjoy it! If you like it please be sure to leave kudos and comments and share it with your friends!

ONE

"It’s been over. It’s not like you loved me anymore. Besides, you know my career comes first to anything else."

The words still echoed in Julie’s head days later. Nick was gone. Their music, the music they created together, gone. As soon as Nick had the opportunity of a lifetime, he took it in stride and left Julie in the dust. The saddest part is that she almost saw it coming. 

She and Nick had been writing songs together for years. Ever since high school, everyone knew them as the dynamic duo that would sweep the nation with their amazing, authentic songwriting and angelic voices. It was going great at the beginning. They would set up their camcorder and record home videos of their original songs, both of them sitting at Julie’s grand piano, singing passionately. Julie still remembers that feeling; they were in their own little world. 

It started as an innocent and fun way for them to get their songs into the world. During their sophomore year, Nick had the idea to upload their videos to YouTube at the slight chance a record label would discover them. Nick always had dreams of being a star. He was the one that encouraged Julie to come out of her shell and sing in front of a camera, in front of her peers. 

One day Nick’s dreams came true. He woke up to an email from a producer at Columbia Records, one of the biggest record companies out there. They had discovered their video for “Lost Stars,” a song that Julie wrote as a dedication to Nick for their 2-year anniversary. But the producer only mentioned Nick in the email. Julie felt an inkling that something was wrong but wanted to be supportive of her boyfriend.

Weeks later, Julie still had that gut feeling about Nick’s sudden success. The record company only wanted to sign Nick, so they did. Julie had to feel happy for him but felt somewhat robbed of all the hard work she had put into their videos and Nick’s success. She still felt compelled to be the supportive girlfriend to her superstar boyfriend, because she loved him. And she thought she always would.

Until she didn’t. Julie could feel him pulling away as soon as his recording sessions for his debut album began. She tagged along with him, as she always did, to his first session in the studio. He was acting distant. He wouldn’t even tell her what song he would be recording. He hadn’t been sharing his music with her for weeks before that, but she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt by thinking they would be a surprise for her. But when she sat down in the sound booth to hear him sing, she heard a strange pop melody begin, similar to the song she wrote for him months before. No way he would take the credit for the song she wrote for him, right? Or so she thought. He began to sing the words she never thought she’d hear that day:

"God, tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young  
It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run  
Searching for meaning  
But are we all lost stars, trying to light up the dark?"

Julie felt her heart sink. After hearing those opening lines she stopped listening. How could he do this? That song was a gift to him. They recorded it together for fun. It was never supposed to be this way. That day would cause a rift in their relationship that would affect them forever.

Next thing she knew, Julie felt herself pulling away. The love she had for Nick was slowly fading after that terrible day at the studio. The man she thought she knew was not the man she was seeing every day. But she stuck around. She never knew why. Especially after her mom died. He supported her and comforted her as no one had. Part of her felt like she owed him. Part of her thought this was how it was supposed to be. Guy and girl make music together. Guy gets famous, girl follows. It never felt normal to Julie, but she thought this was how normal should be.

Two years later, a few days ago. They had graduated high school. Nick’s career was blossoming as expected. It was the first night of Nick’s American tour. He was performing at the Orpheum, a gig that he (and Julie) had dreamed of for a lifetime. So why didn’t Julie feel happy for him? She still had that bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that had been there for years.

Julie wanted to arrive at the venue earlier than usual to surprise Nick before his performance. She knocked on the door of his dressing room to which there was no answer. He was probably blasting his pre-show music and couldn’t hear. So she busted through the door. 

She couldn’t believe her eyes. There he was, on the couch, kissing a girl. Not just a girl; Carrie Wilson, his high school ex-girlfriend. Julie couldn’t speak. She couldn’t yell or scream or cry. She just stood there in silence.

Nick looked over at the door and quickly pulled away. “J-Julie. Wait. I can explain-”

That’s when the tears began to flow. “Nick, don’t,” she said, short and abrupt. “As if it wasn’t already obvious, we’re done. Don’t call me, don’t follow me out of here.” She began to walk towards the door.

Then she heard the words that would haunt her. “Oh come on, Julie,” Nick said, with a sinister chuckle, “It’s been over. It’s not like you loved me anymore. Besides, you know my career comes first to anything else.” 

She froze in her tracks. “I didn’t love you? I stayed with you for years! Even after you stole my song– our song!” She yelled, heat rushing to her ears and neck.

“Pfft. You never spoke up about that. You could have said something. Instead, I’m the bad guy.”

Julie couldn’t take this anymore. She ran out of the dressing room, not turning around once.

Next thing she knew she was in front of her house. She started to catch her breath and ended up sobbing, releasing all of the pent up emotion she had been holding in for years. She was heartbroken, of course, but why did she feel relieved? Nick gave her so much in life, but in an instant took it all away. 

Present day. Julie didn’t even realize she was roaming the streets. That night played in her head more times than she’d like to admit. But the relief had begun to supersede the heartbreak. She was her own person now, but she still suffered a significant loss that she may never fully recover from. 

She knew that she needed some fresh air, to escape her apartment that she had trapped herself in for days. The next thing she knew, she stumbled upon Amoeba Records. One of her favorite record shops. She would go there almost every day after school to see the new editions or just to browse. There was a large poster on the window that read “Open Mic Night: Friday, April 15, 8-10 pm.” Julie glanced at her phone screen. The time read 9:30. It wasn’t too late. Courage took over her body like she had never felt before. Before she knew it, she stuffed her phone in her pocket, took a deep breath, and walked through the door.


	2. TWO

Luke sat on his couch one chilly spring evening, thinking. He longed for the feeling that he had whenever his career began. 16 years old, on top of the world. Discovered on the Santa Monica Pier while fooling around with his best friends, Reggie and Alex. Trevor Wilson from Sunset Records would change his life forever that one summer day.

Everything started off great. Luke felt so connected to the music he was recording and performing for his intimate audiences. It was just him, his guitar, and his close-knit group of fans and supporters. He and Trevor got along great in the beginning; Luke would pitch his lyrics and album ideas, Trevor would almost always agree. They vibed together in a way that a music producer and an artist always should.

Luke knew the exact moment his brief career began to downfall. Sometimes, when he lays in bed at night, he still hears the echoes of his and his parents’ booming voices arguing that night he ran away from home. He was only 17. His parents despised the idea that he wanted to graduate high school early and pursue his career. But it was too late. He had already signed with Sunset Records and his fate was sealed. That night, things escalated too quickly, Luke’s passion for his music got the best of him, his parents just wanted their son to have a “normal” and safe teenage life (their words, not his). Before he knew it, he was out of the door. One year later, he still thinks about that horrific night.

Luke was 18 now, one of the youngest artists signed to his label. But something happened that night he ran away that would change him forever. He was able to suppress his emotions and feelings of guilt for snapping at his parents for a while, probably a few months or so. But all of a sudden, when Luke spotted his mother at the corner store, all of those feelings came bubbling to the surface. The Luke that the label learned to love and support was disappearing by the day. Sunset Records knew that Luke was on his last straw. They knew he was losing touch with the ambition and drive he had when they first signed him. At every recording session, there was some sort of dispute, where Luke snapped due to lack of sleep or overall frustration at the lack of creativity flowing through his mind. He was obviously still writing his own music, but once Luke began to give less energy in their sessions, the label was compelled to hire writers to help him along. Eventually Luke started to pull away, losing his motivation to make music that moved people.

It’s not like Luke wanted his career to be over. He missed the connection that he felt with fans. He missed the connection he felt to the lyrics he wrote and sang. How could he let this happen? He knew that somehow he needed to get his inspiration back. Luke didn’t know what hit him, but he had to get out of his slump. So he sprung up from his couch, straightened out his clothes, and headed out the door.

Luke didn’t even know where he was headed, but he needed something. Some sort of inspiration, some sort of sign to keep going. He walked a few blocks and ended up on Sunset Boulevard. Looking around, desperate for something, he eyes the LED sign for his favorite record store, Amoeba Records. He briskly walks to the entrance and gets stopped by the huge sign on the window: Open Mic Night, Friday, April 15, 8-10 pm. It was 9:45. Perfect timing. He originally came to just browse the records and see if there were any new releases or something that would catch his eye, but this was even better.

When he entered through the doors, he spotted a younger guy, around his age, strumming his guitar and singing softly on the lowly lit stage. Luke decided to sit in the back on one of the run-down couches, the perfect view of the stage. The guy that was performing sounded great, but it wasn’t enough to exactly inspire him. 

The song ended and the audience applauded softly. “Great job, Mason!” the host stated, “Okay, we’ve got room for one more performer. Any takers?”

“I-I’ll do it!” a girl’s soft yet strong voice filled the building. Luke looked in her direction and his heart felt as if it had stopped completely. She was beautiful even in the soft string lights that filled the record store. 

“Sweet! Come on up,” the host replied enthusiastically. The mysterious girl slowly walked to the stage and stepped into the dim spotlight, squinting at the sudden brightness. Luke’s breath was taken away once again, the girl’s features now emphasized by the light. “What’s your name?” the host asked.

“It’s Julie. I’ll be singing an original song.” she slightly mumbled, still loud enough for the room to hear.

“Take it away! Give it up for Julie!” The crowd began to clap. Luke felt captivated by the girl before she even opened her lips to sing.

Julie picked up the mic and brought it over to the grand piano, the spotlight following her. Luke could see her take in a deep breath and graze her fingers over the keys. Then she began to sing.

“Here's one thing I want you to know  
You got someplace to go  
Life's a test, yes, but you go toe-to-toe  
You don't give up, no, you grow”

Her voice was unlike anything Luke had ever heard before. It was gentle yet powerful, intimate yet filled the entire room. Luke couldn’t breathe. He didn’t want anything interrupting the beauty that spilled from Julie’s lips.

As she began to sing the chorus to her song, Luke felt it. He felt the feeling he had been longing for. The lyrics spoke to him in a way that he had not felt since the beginning of his career. He felt his body physically release all the tension he had been holding in. He watched Julie’s every move as she sang. Her eyes were closed, but he could feel the burning passion and connection to the lyrics she was singing and the notes she played on the piano. 

“Wake up, wake up if it's all you do  
Look out, look inside of you  
It's not what you lost  
It's what you'll gain raising your voice in the rain”

And then Luke heard it. The soft beat of a drum in the back of his mind. The acoustic guitar strumming a soft melody to accompany Julie's magnificent voice and piano chords. The perfect arrangement.

Before he knew it, Julie reached the end of her song and looked out to the audience. Luke stood up as the audience began clapping and, with a serious and dazed expression, slowly began to clap as well. Luke was able to catch Julie’s eyes and couldn’t look away. Neither of them could.

Julie suddenly pulled away from Luke’s gaze and acknowledged the rest of the crowd, softly smiling and taking a bow.

“Wow, Julie, way to end off the night!” the host exclaimed. “Thanks to all the performers tonight. Make sure to check out our open mic again next month. Have a great night!”

Luke was still standing there, unable to move. Then he saw Julie exiting the stage, quickly. Why was she in a rush? Luke didn’t know what came over him, but he rushed out of the door behind her.

Luke took a leap of faith. “Hey. Julie, is it?” he said, stuttering his words, “I’m Luke.”


	3. THREE

Julie was shocked to hear a voice calling her name. She was still reeling from the emotions of her performance so she had to get out there fast to breathe in some (somewhat) fresh air.

“Hey, Julie, is it? I’m Luke.” a deep voice said. Julie turned around and saw him. It was the guy from the crowd she locked eyes with for a split second. He was even more beautiful up close.

“Oh, hi,” she said softly, flashing a grin. “I’m Julie.” She slapped her forehead once she realized. “Which you just said.”

Luke let out a chuckle. “It’s cool. I just wanted to say that you were amazing up there. Haven’t heard an act like that in a while.” Luke didn’t know where this bravery came from.

“Wow, that’s so sweet of you, thanks,” Julie responded, slightly blushing, “Are you a musician, too?”

Luke had to think for a second. The obvious answer is yes. He has an EP out and has played shows. People know him. He may not get recognized on the streets, but he still made music. He just felt like somewhat of a phony.

He finally mustered out an answer, “Yes, although I’m not too sure you can consider me that anymore.” Why was he being so honest with this girl he had just met?

And why was Julie so intrigued by this stranger? Her curiosity shot out of her. “Oh. Why is that?” she asked.

“It’s a long story. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to hear it.” Luke sighed.

Julie took her own leap of faith. “I’d love to, actually. You seem like you could tell a great story.”

“Really? We just met. Are you sure you want to hear about my vulnerabilities at 10 pm on a Friday? I’m sure you have better things to do.” Luke tried not to sound pathetic but failed. 

“I really don’t. Come on,” Julie said, confidently for the first time in her life. Julie had never acted like this around a stranger, but she had already been courageous tonight. What’s one more act of bravery? Plus, something felt different about tonight. Something felt different about meeting Luke. She didn’t even know the guy but already felt drawn to him. Maybe this was the sign she was looking for.

Luke had no idea why he felt compelled to tell Julie about his struggles as an artist. But it was something that eats away at him every single day. Something about Julie felt so trustworthy and open. He felt like he could tell her everything, and they just met 10 minutes ago.  
And Luke did tell her everything. How his career started, how things were going well before his fight with his parents. How he disagreed with the label during every session, how he felt his career crumbling right before his eyes. How he missed the connection he once had with his music.

“And this sounds weird, but like,” Luke started, nervously, “After tonight, I feel different. I feel inspired. Do you know what I mean?”

Julie looked up at him, slowing her pace. “Yeah, I do. I don’t know what came over me when I went on that stage. I haven’t had confidence like that in a long time.”

Luke studied her face, worried and curious. “Did something happen?” he asked sincerely.

And Julie told him everything. Just like he had opened up to her. It felt natural, organic. She told him about her mother passing away, which she hadn’t said out loud in so long. She told him about her relationship with music and Nick, to which Luke scoffed (“I’ve heard those bubblegum pop songs on the radio before.” he jokingly responded). 

“I don’t feel the need to get revenge on Nick. I want to move on from that part of my life,” Julie concluded her story. “Now I’ve just gone and told my entire life story to a complete stranger.”

Luke laughed loudly. “Hey! I opened up to you, too. I don’t think we’re strangers anymore.”

“You’re right,” Julie replied. She felt a twinge of confidence sneak up on her again. “I don’t know why, or how, but you’re very easy to talk to.”

“You’re really easy to talk to, too. I’ve talked more tonight than I have to anyone in months,” he responded. 

They stopped at an intersection, looking into each other’s eyes. Julie felt so connected to Luke. She didn’t even feel this connection with Nick after being with him for so many years. And it wasn’t even in a romantic way, at least not yet. Nothing could ruin this moment–

Suddenly, a loud vibration filled the air. Luke reached for his phone. It was a message from Alex: “Everything okay man? It’s 1 am and I haven’t heard from you.”

His eyes widened. It was already 1 in the morning? Time flew by so quickly it almost felt like it stopped completely. Luke let out a laugh at Alex’s concern and pocketed his phone.

Julie looked at him with her brows furrowed. “Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, everything is great. Didn’t realize it was already 1 am, though.” Luke responded with a grin.

“Oh my god!” Julie exclaimed, reaching for her phone. She had 3 missed calls and 10 texts from her best friend Flynn. “I guess I was missed too. I should probably head home.”

“Want me to walk you?” Luke asked, stepping closer to Julie.

She just about melted at the sentiment. “I’d like that,” Julie answered, an adoring look in her eye.

Julie and Luke fell in sync walking next to each other. It was silent, but not awkward. They were enjoying each other’s company. The sounds of the streets of Los Angeles filled the air and a gentle breeze hit their skin. Two complete strangers just opened up to each other for hours, so the silence was nice. It was the perfect moment.

As they approached the steps to Julie’s apartment, Luke turned to face her. “This is it?”

“Yeah,” he replied, with a sigh. She didn’t want this moment to be over.

“Well, it was really nice meeting you, Julie. Thanks for listening to me rant for an hour.” Luke said with a sad look in his eye, knowing the moment they shared wouldn’t last forever.

Her heart skipped when he said her name. “It was nice meeting you too, Luke,” she replied, turning up the steps. She began to walk up, turning around and meeting his eyes again. She put her hand up for a small wave, both of them letting out a giggle.

Luke began to walk away, slightly sulking. But then it hit him. He couldn’t let this be the last time he ever saw her. There was a reason why they met tonight. She was the inspiration that he needed. But that wasn’t all; Luke felt connected to her in so many other ways. He knew exactly what he needed to do.

“Wait, Julie!” he exclaimed. 

Part of Julie wanted him to stop her from going inside, but she would not expect the words that would escape his mouth next. “Yeah?” she asked.

“Any way you’d wanna make an album with me?”


	4. FOUR

“Any way you’d wanna make an album with me?” Luke asked.

Julie couldn’t speak. She just stared at him with a blank look. His question, though not intentionally, took her back to that dark place she was in a few days ago. She felt that deep pit in her stomach that she once felt while she was with Nick, watching him take her songs and twist them into something shallow and unoriginal. Although Luke had good intentions, she didn’t know him. They had just met that night. This was insane.

“W-what?” she croaked, unable to catch her breath. “An album?”

“Yeah,” Luke responded, softly, “I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out.” He ran up the steps to meet her at the landing.

“No, I can’t,” Julie said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “I’m sorry, Luke, but this is crazy! An album? With a girl you just met? That’s an insane idea.” She was stuttering and could barely get out a full sentence.

Luke felt his heart in his stomach. He knew exactly why Julie was apprehensive about his offer, besides the obvious fact that they had just met. “Look, I know that you’ve had it rough when it comes to music lately, because of Nick. But I can tell it means so much to you. And the fact that I can feel that just from your performance tonight has to mean something, right?”

Julie looked up at Luke from her hands. How did she understand him so easily after just a few hours? “I-I don’t know about this. As I said, we just met. And I don’t even know if I can still write. It’s been years.” Julie said, her voice cracking every other word. She couldn’t even look at Luke.

Luke knew that he couldn’t let her go. He took yet another leap of faith and gently grabbed both of her hands. “This is all so insane, I know, Julie. But, come on. I know you felt something tonight, too. You’re an amazing singer and an incredible songwriter. We could make magic together, I just know it.”

Julie still wasn’t sure. Luke wasn’t asking her to fall in love with him. It was just an album. But music meant so much to her. She couldn’t just pour her heart and soul into lyrics with just anyone. But Luke… Luke felt different. He wasn’t like Nick. But, they just met. She couldn’t take that risk.

She pulled her hands away from Luke’s, watching the way his hands fell to his side in defeat. She couldn’t look up at him when she said the next few words: “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Luke felt heartbroken as he watched her turn around. This connection he made with Julie in just a few hours couldn’t end tonight. He couldn’t explain it; neither could she. But he had to see her again.

“Wait!” he exclaimed, prompting Julie to turn back towards him. “Can I at least give you my number? You know, in case you change your mind?” He pulled out one of his business cards, miraculously found a pen in his pocket, and scribbled his cell number on the back of the card. He held the card out towards Julie, desperate for her to at least want to see him again.

And, just when Luke thought it was all over, Julie reached out and grabbed it.

The next morning, Julie stood at her kitchen counter, stirring her cup of coffee and staring intently at the counter. More specifically, she was staring at the card that Luke gave her last night. She could barely sleep. Her thoughts kept her restless, tossing and turning. 

She resisted the urge to call Luke last night. That would’ve been weird, right? But she also couldn’t call now. It’s too soon… right? It’s not like she could make an album with him. That’s crazy. But, why did a part of her want to… need to? They didn’t even need to talk about the album. Luke was an incredibly interesting person. She could just get to know him. It wouldn’t have to be like when she was with Nick; it could be different.

“Good morning sunshine!” she heard a loud, sarcastic voice from the hallway, snapping Julie out of her daze. Her best friend, Flynn, was walking towards the kitchen. “You got home late last night. Why didn’t you return any of my calls?”

Julie sighed, completely forgetting that she left her friend hanging. “I’m sorry, I went for a walk, got carried away…” she trailed off, her eyes finding the card again.

“Now, what is going on in that head of yours? Is everything okay?” Flynn asked, jokingly but also concerned.

“It’s a long story,” Julie said, her mind wandering to the moment she locked eyes with Luke for the first time. “I actually sang last night. At Amoeba Records.”

Julie jumped as Flynn let out a loud scream. Flynn ran over and grabbed Julie’s shoulders. “Are you serious?! You haven’t been able to sing in weeks! Especially since, you know…” she trailed off, sparing the details of Julie’s heartbreak.

“Yeah, I don’t know what came over me,” Julie responded. “All I know is that last night was… different. Plus, I met someone.” She said the last part quietly, secretly hoping Flynn didn’t hear.

“Wait what? And the night just keeps getting crazier,” Flynn exclaimed, forcing Julie to laugh out loud. “You met someone? Who is this special guy? Or girl?”

Julie chucked once again. “His name is Luke. He was at the event, actually. He’s a musician, too.”

“Wait… Luke, as in Luke Patterson? I saw one of his shows a few months ago! He’s really talented, but fans were saying he’s losing his touch.”

Julie was in shock. “Wait, you know him? This big city sure feels small right now.”

“I mean, I’m not a fan of his or anything. But the guy is seriously talented.”

Julie was about to conceal the events of last night to herself. But she couldn’t. Flynn was her best friend. She had been there for Julie through all the hardships in her life: her mom passing away, her breakup, and all the struggles with Nick. It would be cruel to leave her out of this.

“W-well, you know what’s insane? He saw my performance, said I inspired him. He actually asked me to make a few songs with him?” Julie finally confessed with a sigh of relief.

“JULIE, WHAT?!” Flynn screamed, startling Julie once again. “Please tell me you said yes?!”

“Okay Flynn, calm down,” Julie said, grabbing her best friend’s shoulders in an attempt to ease her antics. “And I said no. You know why.”

Flynn sighed, her face turning with guilt. “Right. The Nick thing. I’m so sorry. I still despise that guy for ruining your relationship with music.”

“It’s okay, Flynn. You’ve been there for me like no one has. I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for you.” Julie reached over and embraced Flynn in a hug.

“Oh, stop. You’re gonna make me cry!” Flynn exclaimed, squeezing Julie tight.

Julie was the first to pull away, still distracted by the card. “I’m terrified, you know that. And I just met Luke last night. But, I don’t know… things felt right. It’s hard to explain.”

“It was love at first sight!” Flynn joked. “Oh, you know I’m a sucker for romance. He is very dreamy, I still remember.”

Julie scoffed and playfully hit Flynn’s shoulder. “It isn’t like that! He told me everything about how his career was failing, and somehow I opened up to him too. He made me feel better about everything that’s been going on. We just, clicked.”  
“Look, I know you’ve been feeling lost lately with everything going on with Nick and… all that stuff. But, Julie! This might be the sign that you’ve been looking for! Luke Patterson wants to make music with you! That has to mean something special.” Flynn reassured her.

“B-but… this is so absolutely insane! I can’t believe I’m actually considering this.”

“Hey, you said it,” Flynn said. “You felt a connection as soon as you first saw him. People don’t find that every day. Jules, just call! You don’t always get an opportunity like this! It’s totally different than with Nick. And besides, if it doesn’t feel right, or if you get uncomfortable or scared, you can stop.”

Flynn was right. How often would Julie get an amazing opportunity like this? She felt connected to music again. Last night definitely changed her life. And Luke… She couldn’t put her finger on it quite yet, but Luke meant something to her. She felt connected to him in a way that she couldn’t explain. Julie’s courage didn’t have to end last night; it couldn’t.

So, before Julie had the chance to change her mind, she reached for her phone and dialed Luke’s number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all know I had to include some cute Julynn moments. And sorry for the cliffhangers. I have to keep you guys hooked somehow! Stay tuned for tomorrow's update <3


	5. FIVE

Luke was restless all night. He couldn’t sleep at the possibility of Julie calling him. Why didn’t he just ask for her number? He knew she was having doubts about what he asked of her. Why wouldn’t she? He asked her to make an album with a guy she just met, for crying out loud. But they definitely connected. Luke could feel it. He hadn’t had a feeling like he did last night in years, perhaps never in his life.

Luke knew he couldn’t stay in his room all day waiting for Julie’s call (although part of him wanted to), so he sprung up from his bed, got dressed, and retreated to the kitchen. He needed a pick-me-up in case his plan with Julie went south.

As he approached the kitchen, the sound of Alex’s perky morning voice filled the room. Oh, right, he has a roommate.

“Morning, sunshine,” Alex said, a little too enthusiastic for the hour, “Coffee?”

“You read my mind,” Luke sighed, reaching for the cup that Alex was holding.

But before Luke could take it, Alex playfully pulled it away. “Uh-uh. Before I give you this, you need to tell me where you were last night.”

Luke scoffed, throwing up his arms. “Can I at least have my coffee first?” Alex didn’t seem to be letting up. “Okay, fine, but after I tell you you’ve gotta give me that. I need it.”

He took a seat at the bar. “To be honest, I wasn’t having a great night. At least at first. But I stumbled upon Amoeba’s open mic night thing, you know the one they do every month? I heard this girl perform, and I don’t know…” he trailed off, feeling embarrassed about admitting this to his best friend.

“Lukie’s got a crush on a girl he just met! Oh god, I feel like I’m watching ‘Romeo and Juliet.’” Alex teased, prompting a shove from Luke.

“Shut up man. It’s not like that, at least not completely. Her voice, it was incredible. And we talked for hours, after the event. That’s why I was out so late.”

“Is she gonna make you get your act together and actually be invested in your music?”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” Luke answered, looking down with shame. “It sounds stupid, but I felt inspired when I heard her sing. So I asked her to make music with me, which might have ruined whatever short connection we had.”

Alex sat down next to Luke, sliding down the cup of coffee towards him. “You’re gonna need this, dude,” he said, patting Luke on the back. “If the connection you two had is as strong as you say it is, there’s no way she won’t want to see you again.”

Just as Luke took a sip, his phone rang. Luke picked up after the first ring; he didn’t care how desperate he seemed.

He cleared his throat, removing the shakiness. “H-hello?” But there it was.

“Hi, is this Luke? It’s Julie, from last night? You gave me this number, asked me to call you?” she sounded just as nervous as Luke felt.

“Yes! Yes, this is Luke. Hey, Julie.” He tried not to make it obvious he was smiling from ear to ear. Luke was desperate for an answer, but he didn’t want to rush her. He knew how much courage it took for her to trust someone.

“You know what? Okay. I’ll do it. But no promises for an album. I’m not even sure if I can write like I used to anymore… after everything that happened. But we can at least try.” She let out a small laugh after, almost in relief for being able to get those words out.

Luke almost dropped his phone in excitement. He couldn’t believe Julie was actually agreeing to this. At least try, she said. And he’d try as hard as he could to be able to make music with her.

He didn’t realize how long he’d been silently celebrating. “Luke? You there?” she asked, sounding genuinely worried.

Luke scrambled for his phone and pressed it to his ear again. “Yes, yes, I’m here! Are you sure you want to do this? I don’t want to pressure you.” He wanted her to agree because she wanted to, not just because he wanted her to. Luke wanted this experience to be genuine and enjoyable for both of them.

He heard Julie laugh from the other end of the line. “Yeah, I’m definitely sure. Now let’s do this before I change my mind,” she teased.

Luke just about melted on the spot. “Sweet, well we should definitely meet up soon to exchange ideas and write lyrics. I already have some thoughts but we should definitely plan some collaborative ideas in terms of the vision for the record. Plus we need to discuss…” he trailed off. He was rambling. A nervous wreck.

Luke nervously laughed before he could finish his sentence. “Sorry, Jules. If you can’t tell, I’m a bit excited about all of this. Haven’t felt this inspired in a while.”  
“No worries, Luke. I’m pretty excited about this too,” Julie responded, unfazed by his rambling, “Are you free this afternoon?”

“Definitely,” Luke immediately replied, perhaps too enthusiastically. “I know a great coffee shop downtown that’s perfect for us to exchange ideas. What do you say, at 3 pm? I can text you the address.”

“I’d really like that.” Julie agreed softly.

“Cool, it’s a date,” Luke said, and immediately froze.

He hung up before Julie had the chance to react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience with this update! Sorry, it's a bit shorter than the others. I'll be updating tomorrow too (during the day) so it'll kind of be like a two-in-one deal. 
> 
> Also, if you’ve noticed I have been switching between Julie and Luke’s POV for each chapter, sometimes mixing it up within one chapter. I’m not sure if that’s how I will continue the story but we shall see. I hope everything makes sense to you guys. Thanks again for your support, I always appreciate it!


	6. SIX

“It’s a date.”

Luke hung up before Julie had the chance to answer. A date? He probably didn’t mean it like that, Julie thought to herself. But, what if he did? To be honest, Julie wouldn’t mind–

“Um, hello? Earth to Julie?” Flynn said, snapping Julie away from her thoughts about the boy on the phone. “You sent me away after he answered so I need details, now! Did you say yes? What’s the plan?”

“Yes, yes, I said yes. We’re actually meeting up later today to start writing and stuff,” Julie answered her friend and sighed happily.

“Oh my god! This is so exciting,” Flynn jumped up and down before realizing they lived on the third floor and would piss off their downstairs neighbors. “Yep, I need to calm down. But, Jules! You’re finally doing music again. You already look so much more alive.”

“Thanks, Flynn. I’m a nervous wreck but I’m actually quite excited about what might happen with Luke. This is all so insane, but it’s for the best, you know?”

“Definitely, now I have to go run a few errands, look at some new sound mixing gear. But please let me know how it goes? I’m gonna need all of the details.” Flynn grabbed her keys and embraced Julie in a hug.

“As soon as I get home, I know. I’ll see you later.” Julie responded, hugging her best friend back.

Julie checked the time on her phone. 1 pm. She still had two hours before she had to meet up with Luke. She was still thinking about his last words on their phone call earlier this morning. “It’s a date.” A date? She was definitely overthinking it.

She couldn’t just sit around for two hours until their “date,” or whatever it was. “You’re just writing music. It’s not a date,” Julie said to herself, shaking her head.

Julie went into her bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. She reached under and pulled out a small box. Her dream box. She kept all of her lyrics she used to write inside of there, a secret place in her heart that no one had ever seen before, not even Flynn (and definitely not Nick). Inside of the box was her official songwriting notebook, where she wrote her completed verses along with piano chords and scribbles in the margins. She hadn’t touched the notebook in months, ever since the incident with Nick at the studio. 

She opened up the notebook and flipped through a few pages. She hadn’t read those first few lyrics since her mom died. They were too hard to get through. Rose, her mother, was the reason she was so passionate about music in the first place. One day she would have the courage to write a song about her mom and how much she means to her.

But right now, all that Julie knew was that she had the courage to write music. While she couldn’t completely face the pain of losing her mom yet, she wanted to write. She felt free… finally. And she was going to run with that feeling for as long as she could.

A few hours after Luke’s conversation with Julie, he was still sitting in regret over his last words. What was he thinking? He probably freaked her out some more. It’s a date?! 

“It’s a date? You idiot,” Luke said to himself, hitting himself on the head. He totally forgot that Alex was standing there dumbfounded as well.

“Dude, really? A date? You’re gonna scare her away,” Alex said playfully.

“Yeah, man, I got that. Now, go away. Don’t you have to meet Willie or something?” Luke responded, desperately trying to change the subject.

“Oh, crap. You’re right. Good luck today!” Alex yelled and dashed out of the door.

Luke finally reached for his phone again and texted Julie the address of the coffee shop. He was hoping that he didn’t actually scare her away; he was desperate at this point.

A few minutes later his phone vibrated. As he expected (or at least hoped), Julie responded.

Julie ❤ 1:45 pm – Thanks! See you at 3. ☺️

Luke tried not to overthink her use of a smiley face. Was she excited as he was? He typed out a quick response.

Me 1:49 pm – Can’t wait.

Luke put his phone down with a smile and fetched his songwriting notebook from his bedroom. His chest began to feel heavy as he flipped through the pages. The songs towards the beginning were so… himself. From the start of his career. As he got closer to the blank pages, he literally saw himself disappear through lyrics that meant close to nothing to him. They looked forced, even by the appearance of his handwriting. 

As he reached the first blank page, he realized that writing songs didn’t have to be like that anymore. He could be himself. Somehow, Julie brought his true self out of him again. He felt alive again, all because he met an amazingly talented girl last night. And now they were going to make music together.

Luke didn’t know what came over him, but he grabbed a pen and started scribbling lyrics onto the page. The heavy feeling in his chest began to disappear. The words came to him so naturally; it felt real, it felt like himself. 

Heart’s on fire, we’re no liars  
So we say what we wanna say.  
I’m awakened, no more faking  
So we push all our fears away.

He only got a few lines down, but it was something. He started to hear an upbeat acoustic melody in the back of his head, just as he heard when Julie performed last night. 

Julie. He wanted to finish this song with her. They were both stuck in their lives before last night. They were trapped in a space they thought they could never get out of. But now, they were free. Music meant something special to them again. And Luke couldn’t wait to share that experience with Julie.


	7. SEVEN

Julie checked her phone one more time to make sure she had the coffee shop address right. She checked her reflection in the mirror before looking past it and seeing Luke staring right at her, waving excitedly. She put her head down in embarrassment and pulled open the front door.

Julie looked around, taking the entire place in. The environment was chill and calming yet bright from the afternoon sun. String lights danced across the ceiling and the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans filled the air. There were only a few people at tables towards the front, but she spotted Luke towards the back at a table right next to a gorgeous grand piano. Julie smiled as it reminded her of her mom.

“Hey! Just on time,” Luke smiled at her as she approached the table and took a seat. He was wearing a worn-down Rush t-shirt and a red flannel over the top. Typical alternative rock star look. “I ordered some coffee for the both of us just now, hope that was alright.”

“Yeah, that sounds great. Thank you,” Julie responded with a soft grin. “So… the album,” she started.

“Yes! The album… so I have a confession. I know we were gonna write together but I just had an idea before I showed up here and I couldn’t get it out of my head–”

“Luke!” Julie interrupted. “Are you kidding me? That’s amazing.”

“You think so?” Luke asked timidly. “I actually feel really good about it. It’s not much, but it’s something.”

“That’s great, really,” Julie assured him, “You said you’ve been struggling to write lyrics that actually mean something to you, so I’m glad you were able to do that. Now, let’s see them.”

“Right!” Luke perked up, sliding his notebook between them. “It’s only a verse. But I think it would go great at the beginning of a song. I’m thinking some soft piano chords at the beginning, played by you, of course. Then when the chorus hits, I come in with my guitar and we’re rocking.”

Julie chuckled at Luke’s enthusiasm. She read his verse and was blown away by his words. “Wow, the gears really are turning after last night, huh?”

“Yeah,” Luke responded, looking up at her, “I have a feeling we’re gonna make something pretty great.”

Julie nodded, taking in the pure joy on Luke’s face. She thought about the feeling she experienced last night, performing for the first time in months, pouring her heart out to a crowd of strangers. 

Without knowing what came over her, Julie grabbed Luke’s pen from his hand and began to write. The lyrics were flowing through her hand and onto the page like they never had before. 

Luke sat back and watched her mind work for a while. It was beautiful, the way her brows furrowed when she was thinking of a word to describe her thoughts, and the way they rose when the word came to her. She began to look up at the ceiling and hum a soft melody to herself, then started writing again. Luke pulled out another pen and began to scribble on the paper along with her, both of their ideas bouncing across the page, their lyrics entangling together. They spoke to each other on that page, humming to each other softly and nodding when something sounded just right. Before they knew it, they had completed the song.

“Been so long and now we’re finally free…” Julie sang softly, closing her eyes and setting her pen down.

Luke felt warmth creeping up his face. He was definitely blushing. He had just heard her voice last night, but it felt like the first time all over again, just from that one soft line. The way her creativity flowed across the page in only a matter of minutes was something he hadn’t witnessed before. And the song was beautiful. It was a perfect mesh of their visions, about how they felt in that exact moment, about how all of their hardships were worth it to be able to experience writing this song with each other.

Suddenly, Julie stood up from the table and began walking towards the piano.

“We should probably see how this sounds with a melody, right?” she asked.

“Yeah…. Right.” Luke replied, snapping out of his daze and joined her at the piano.

Julie felt nervous, and by the way Luke was looking at her, he could tell. She had just performed in front of strangers last night, but that was different. She had just written this song, the emotions were fresh on the surface. And she wrote it with Luke. The last time she shared a songwriting experience– a positive one at least– was with her mother. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Luke said, offering her a soft smile. “I know you’ve got a little bit of bravery left from last night. Now, look around.” They both tore their eyes from each other and glanced around the café. There was only one person at a table by the front door with headphones on, bopping their head to their own music. The barista behind the counter seemed to be distracted as well.

“See? Everything’s gonna be okay. It’s just you and me in here,” he remarked. Julie nodded and chuckled to herself, feeling quite ridiculous about her nerves. She placed her hands on the piano, the keys feeling cool on her fingertips. Julie looked up at the page where their song was written, then started playing a few gentle chords, adding extra notes in between. Then she started to sing the first verse.

There was something about hearing Julie sing the words that he wrote that made Luke’s stomach flutter. She brought his vision to life before his eyes. To think that they had just met yesterday, it felt like ages ago. But their connection through music was already past the surface.

As she finished the first verse and pre-chorus, she looked up at Luke. “H-how did that sound?” she asked nervously.

Luke almost felt speechless. “Amazing, really,” he answered. “Let’s write that down.” 

Julie could feel the passion that Luke had for music so strongly, and it was only their second time seeing each other. She could tell that this is the way he connected with people he cares about, how he shares his feelings and fears. They were both able to express themselves fully through song, and it was an amazing realization.

“We should come up with a name,” Julie uttered. “For the song, I mean.”

“Right, of course,” Luke replied, “What about ‘Free’?”

“That’s great but... “ Julie began, thinking. “I mean, this song, at least for me, is about all the stuff we’ve gone through this past year. It’s been so hard on both of us. But here we are, finally writing music together. Finally… free.”

“‘Finally Free’! That’s it.” Luke exclaimed enthusiastically. “See, this is why we work so well together. That’s perfect.” This afforded a loud laugh from Julie at his once again overenergized antics.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Luke felt something itching inside of him, though. He knew that something was missing. From the song, from the making of an album. He needed the two people that brought him to his music career in the first place: his best friends. 

“So, crazy idea,” Luke started, looking back and forth between Julie and the piano. “This song sounds great with the piano chords, but I feel like with just my guitar… it needs something else. This song feels a lot more powerful than that.”

“What were you thinking?” Julie asked, curious as to where Luke’s mind was.

“Well… I know it took a lot of convincing for you to sing with me, but I think the song needs a beat. And maybe some bass. And before you get worried, I know just the right people for the job.”

“Wait, what? More people? I don’t know…” Julie began to get nervous at the thought of having to open up to even more people. It was already tough for her to sing in the first place considering the past year she had.

“They’re my best friends, Alex and Reggie. I trust them with everything. They’re the ones who helped me get discovered in the first place. I wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for them. And they’re super cool, if you think I’m cool at least…” His last words led to a chuckle from Julie.

“Look, Jules. I know this is all insane, but come on! They’re amazing musicians. They would bring an incredible sound to this album. Trust me, please.”

Julie looked down to think for a minute. She was terrified of opening up to new people. Obviously, with Luke, there was a bit of an exception, but two more guys? It seemed scary, but Luke was there. He would be there for her and the album, for their entire journey. She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. And besides, the album did need some drums and bass. They needed a complete sound.  
“You know what? You’re right.” Julie agreed. “Let’s give it a try, at least.”

“Really? Oh my god, they’re gonna be stoked when they find out. I’ve always wanted to make a record with them.” Luke answered enthusiastically, jumping up from the piano bench.

“You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?” Julie laughed, shaking her head at the burst of energy coming from him.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, gripping his hands firmly on the piano and bending down closer to her. “Aren’t you? This is gonna be awesome.”

“Yeah,” she responded, meeting his gaze with a wide grin, “It really will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I want to apologize for the late update. This past weekend was pretty busy for me so I just got around to writing last night. I'm also feeling a lot more inspired now in regard to this story so I'm really excited for you to see what I have planned. I made this chapter a bit longer than the others as a treat for your patience. Hope you enjoy it! Be sure to leave kudos and comments if you like it!


	8. EIGHT

It was a few days after Julie and Luke’s first writing session at the coffee shop. Julie smiled at her phone and set it down, a feeling of both nervousness and excitement rushing through her. She was definitely excited to meet the guys, as she told Luke, but she was of course scared. She trusted Luke, though. And that was only in a matter of days. If Luke trusted them with his music, and if they were as talented and nice to be around as Luke is, then she had nothing to worry about. 

As Julie was patiently waiting until it was time to meet the guys, Flynn walked through their front door. “Jules! I didn’t think you’d be home,” her best friend exclaimed, pulling her in for a tight embrace.

“Yeah, I’m gonna head out in a bit actually,” Julie responded with a wide smile, “There’s actually something that I have to tell you.”

“Well, come on! Spill!” Flynn said curiously after they both plopped onto their couch.

“Okay…” Julie started, “You know the other day, when I met up with Luke to start writing?”

Flynn nodded. “Duh. You were gone for hours. I had begun to think the guy had kidnapped you.”

Julie rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Very funny. It went great, like I said. But there was one detail I accidentally left out.”

“Oh my god! Did he kiss you?!” Flynn screamed, bouncing up and down on the couch.

Julie’s jaw dropped at her friend’s remark. “What? No! Are you serious?”

“I mean… yeah? It’s so obvious that you have a crush, Jules.”

“It’s not like that! Like at all,” Julie replied, unable to look at Flynn. “I mean, Luke’s definitely crushworthy, but it’s not like that. At least not yet. Our music, that’s what connects us. You know that.”

“Okay, okay. What were you actually going to tell me?”

“Well,” Julie started, “initially the album was just going to be us two. But we both agreed that the album needs more than that. It needs a beat, it needs layers, you know? So, Luke suggested having his friends join us in making the album. I’m actually meeting the guys tonight.”

“Oh,” Flynn sighed, looking down in disappointment. Not the reaction that Julie expected. Until Julie realized the reason behind her best friend’s upset reaction.

“Oh my god, Flynn. I’m so sorry,” Julie apologized profusely, grabbing Flynn’s hands. “I’m such a horrible friend. I can’t believe I didn’t ask you to join us too.”

“No, no. It’s okay–”

“It’s really not,” Julie cut her off, “It’s just that this all happened so fast. A week ago I didn’t even think I’d be singing again much less making an album with a guy I just met. But let me tell you, we’re gonna make music together too! In fact, you’re gonna help us with the album.”

“Jules, you didn’t even ask,” Flynn laughed, “But of course I will! I have plans tonight, but I’d love to meet the guys soon. They’d be okay with this, right?”

“Yes!” Julie exclaimed, shaking both of their hands together, “They have to be, or else I’m out.”

“Good, I’m so excited!”

“Wait, what plans do you have tonight?”

Flynn looked around nervously. “Oh, would you look at the time! It’s almost 8! Shouldn’t you be going?”

Julie narrowed her eyes at her friend. “You won’t be getting away with this,” she teased, standing up and gathering her stuff. “I’ll see you later.”

Luke paced around Reggie’s garage nervously, clutching his notebook against his chest. Reggie and Alex watched him curiously from the couch.

“Dude, I can feel your nerves all the way over here,” Reggie teased, “It’s gonna be fine! Why are you so freaked out about us meeting Julie?”

“Yeah, man, what’s up?” Alex agreed.

Luke stopped pacing and stood in front of the guys. “I just want this to go well. You know how much I want to work with you guys on an album. And Julie… I need her on the album too.”

“Like I said before, Luke,” Alex started, reassuring him, “If she’s as amazing and talented as you say she is, then it’s gonna be great.”

And before Luke had a chance to react, there was a knock on the garage door.

Luke quickly threw his notebook on the coffee table, straightened out his clothes and hair, and approached the door quickly, following with soft laughs from Reggie and Alex.

Luke opened the door and there Julie was, greeting him with a soft smile. He took in her appearance for a second, admiring the way her brown eyes glistened from the porch light. How her long curly hair draped over her shoulders, just how it did the first time he laid eyes on her. She was clutching a notebook (her songwriting book, he assumed) just as Luke was earlier. 

“Hey, Luke!” Julie greeted excitedly, her smile widening with her words.

“Hi, Jules,” he responded. Not knowing what came over him, Luke reached his arms out and enveloped her into a hug. His eyes widened as he realized what he was doing, but Julie slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, reassuring him. He let go of her with one arm and guided her into the garage where the boys were standing, slowly releasing his grasp from her shoulders.

“Julie, this is Alex,” gesturing to his tall friend, “and Reggie,” pointing at the goofy bass player.

“Hi guys,” Julie said, shyly.

“Oh, come here!” Reggie exclaimed, pulling her in for a tight hug, rocking her back and forth. Julie initially tensed up but eventually laughed aloud and threw her arms around Reggie too.

“Alright, I’m coming in!” Alex yelled, hugging Julie from the other side. 

Luke shrugged and joined in the hug as well. 

“This feels nice, doesn’t it?” Reggie teased, leading to laughs by the rest of them.

“Definitely. Julie, you’re a part of the family already!”

As they all pulled away from their group hug, Luke watched Julie’s face, seeing her glow with happiness from their exchange. He was so relieved to see her comfortable with the group.

They sat down and talked for hours. They all opened up about everything, all of their family issues, about how playing music together pretty much saved their lives. Julie eventually opened up too about her relationship with Nick and her song that he stole from her, leading to groans and eye rolls at the familiarity of Nick’s name. Laughs were exchanged, a few tears shed, but it all felt natural. 

Luke took a second to take in the moment. He had only known Julie for a week but he cared for her so deeply. Now, the three people he cared about the most in the world were in the same room, smiling, laughing and crying together, just as a family should. 

“So,” Luke started, breaking his brief silence, “what do you say, Julie? Are we doing this?”

Julie paused for a second, taking a chance to look at all of the guys, “Yeah, definitely.”

The guys all jumped up and yelled, “Yes!” high-fiving each other and looking excitedly at Julie.

“Great, amazing,” Luke said, unable to contain his happiness, “You won’t regret it, I promise.”

They started talking about the album and the ideas they all had. The passion that the four of them had for music was flying through the air, ideas bouncing off of each other. Luke and Julie were writing ideas down frantically, smiling and nodding at each other when the perfect words came to mind. Then they began to talk about Finally Free, the song that they wrote together in the coffee shop a few days ago. 

“So,” Julie began, suddenly exuding confidence, “when Luke and I were writing this song, we both agreed that it was missing something. A beat, and some bass. That’s where you guys come in…”

She began going into detail about her vision for the song. Upbeat piano chords for the first verse, everyone coming in for the chorus, and a bass melody led by Reggie for the breakdown. Luke was absolutely astonished watching her discuss music. Her devotion to music was beautiful to witness, and by the way Alex and Reggie were reacting, they could feel it too.

“That all sounds amazing, Julie,” Reggie stated, “Luke, where have you been hiding her?”

Luke laughed in response, looking over at Julie who was laughing as well.

“So, should we try it out? See how it sounds?” Alex asked, walking towards his drums.

“Um…” Luke said, glancing over at Julie to make sure she was comfortable, “I don’t know.”

Julie approached him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. The guys are great, just like you said,” she replied softly, “I’m ready.”

Luke nodded, walking over to his guitar. But suddenly, an idea struck him. While Julie was looking down at the lyrics and practicing her piano chords, Luke went ahead and set up the recording microphones. Just in case, he thought.

He watched Julie take a deep breath, slightly nervous. She looked up at him and he nodded, assuringly. You got this, he mouthed to her. 

Then she began to play, just as she did in the coffee shop the other day. Every time she played and sang, it still took her breath away. Then, as hit her high note before the chorus, Reggie, Alex, and Luke joined in with a steady beat. Luke began to harmonize with Julie’s lead vocals. They all glanced at each other with huge smiles. It was perfect.

They played beautifully through the chorus and second verse, then came the breakdown. Julie turned towards Luke as she sang, “I got a spark in me,” to which Luke responded by joining her at her microphone. As they sang their lyrics back and forth, the warm sound of Reggie’s bass filled the room, along with Alex hitting the bass drum. He felt every word they sang together, unable to remove their eyes from each other. They were in their own little world, just as they were days ago in the coffee shop. Luke wanted to hold onto that moment with Julie forever.

The final chorus came, Reggie and Luke taking the lead. Julie came alive, adding her own riffs and high notes along with their melody, Alex sustaining notes in the background. And, as the song ended, Julie completed it with her captivating and soft falsetto. Luke felt like he was in a trance watching her sing, he couldn’t help but watch. As Julie sang her last note, and as the boys played the last guitar and bass chords, they all looked at each other in silence for a moment. Suddenly they all started laughing and yelling, Reggie and Alex jumping up and down in excitement.

“Julie, are you kidding me?” Alex screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders, “your voice? Your piano playing? My god, you’re incredible!”

“Thank you, Alex, it means a lot,” Julie said shyly, “you guys were killing it, too! That felt… amazing. Exactly how I envisioned it.”

“Yeah Julie, Luke, that song was incredible,” Reggie agreed, patting Luke on the shoulder in support. “Good thing you recorded that, man.”

Julie’s eyes widened as she moved her gaze to Luke. “Wait, what? You recorded that?”

“Yes, yes, but hear me out,” Luke replied, slowly walking backward away from Julie in fear of her reaction. “I had a feeling it was going to sound awesome on the first try, and it did! Like, almost too perfect. You have to admit that was awesome!”

Julie’s gaze suddenly softened. “Yeah, you’re right. That was pretty great. And I probably would’ve been more nervous if I knew you were recording.”

“It was incredible, Julie. You’re a star.” Luke said, smiling at her. Julie visibly blushed in response to his compliment.

And honestly, Julie felt like one. Playing with Luke, Alex, and Reggie. It just felt right. Like they were meant to meet each other, like they were made to play with one another. And now Julie was more excited than ever to create a record with her new found family. 

"This sounds crazy, but..." Reggie started, "We should start a band."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to celebrate reaching 10k words on my fic because it's a pretty great accomplishment (especially as someone who has struggled to write for a long time). This is just a corny end note extending my appreciation to all of you for reading and supporting my story. We've got a long way to go but I'm really excited for you guys to see what I have planned. Thank you so much!
> 
> Edit: Due to some pretty overwhelming things happening in my personal life, I'm gonna be taking a short break from posting. I'm not ending the story by any means I just need some time to get things in order and it won't be for more than a week or two. Thank you for your understanding! I hope you'll still support my story when I return. <3


	9. NINE

A few weeks later…

The pure bliss that Julie has experienced with the band over the past few weeks is more than she could ever describe. Oh yeah, they were a band now. Reggie brought up the insane idea after they played together for the first time. Julie thought it was crazy at first, but how many people play together and form a bond like that, just within a matter of hours? Julie was sure that it didn’t happen often. 

It took them hours to come up with a band name. Reggie wouldn’t stop suggesting puns and country-style names (to fulfill his dreams of being a country star, of course), to which the rest of them obviously turned down. After what seemed like forever of suggesting and declining names, Alex finally muttered out the perfect idea.

“Hey, what about ‘The Phantoms’?” he suggested.

Julie remembered the band all looking at each other, smiles slowly growing on their faces. No one spoke, but the expressions on their faces said it all. It was the perfect name.

She was having lunch with her dad who was in town for a photography gig, catching him up on the insane events that occurred over the past month or so with Luke and the band.

“Looks like I’ve missed out on a pretty big event in your life,” Ray responded after Julie told him everything.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” she reassured him, “As soon as we book our first gig, you’ll be the first to know.”

Ray looked at his daughter lovingly, grabbing her hands. “Can I just say… I am so proud of you. We’ve all had a rough year, losing your mom. And everything that happened with Nick. I can’t imagine the incredible amount of pain you felt inside. But I’m so glad that you found yourself through music again. You look alive again.”

Julie looked down from her dad’s gaze, feeling the warmth of tears welling up in her eyes. “Thanks, Dad. It’s definitely been hard, but the guys have helped a lot with the music part. I feel so much more connected to mom than I did before. Music feels… different now.”

“And I’m so glad to hear that, mija,” Ray said, squeezing Julie’s hands tighter before releasing them. “Speaking of your mom, I have something for you.”

Julie’s heart dropped. Was she ready for this? “Oh, what is it?”

Ray reached into his bag and pulled out a small brown notebook. Julie instantly recognized it. It was her mom’s songwriting notebook.

“It took me a while, but I finally went through your mom’s stuff in the attic,” her dad said, looking down at the notebook with a sad smile. “I want you to have it, sweetheart. Your mother would want you to have it. You’ve connected to music again! But… if you’re not ready, I understand.”

Julie looked between her father and the notebook a few times. It was hard, so hard. Opening up those wounds again would be so difficult for Julie to go through. But she wasn’t alone anymore. She had her dad, her brother, Luke, the band. And her music, of course. Her dad was right, Mom would want her to have her songs.

After hesitating for a few moments, Julie slowly reached her hand out to grab the notebook from her father’s hands. They both held onto it for a while, looking at each other, tears beginning to roll down their faces. Suddenly Julie walked around the table to embrace Ray in a tight hug, the notebook still between them.

“I love you so much, Dad,” Julie said, sniffling, “Thank you for this.”

“Of course, honey,” he replied, still gripping her tight, “As I said, I am so proud of everything you have accomplished.”

Julie looked over at a clock on the wall of the café. “Dad, it’s almost 2! Don’t you have a shoot?”

Her father’s eyes widened as he pulled away from their hug and hit himself on the head. “Oh my gosh, you’re right! What would I do without you?” he joked.

She laughed and leaned in, kissing her dad on the cheek. “Let me know when you’re in town next, okay?”

“Definitely, mija,” he exclaimed, briskly walking towards the café door. “I love you!”

Julie laughed aloud, waving her dad away.

As Julie began to walk home, she thought about what she and her father spoke about earlier. Why was she so afraid to look at her mom’s songs? It was so hard. Her relationship with music went from horrible to amazing in just a matter of months. Sometimes her mind still wandered back to how she felt when she was with Nick: trapped and suppressed, unable to fully express herself through music.  
Part of Julie felt like reading and playing her mom’s songs would open up a wound she tried so desperately to close when she died. But another part of her knew that she couldn’t suppress her mother’s memory, her mother’s passion for music. She needed to feel connected to her mom, especially through music. That’s what brought them together when she was alive.

Before Julie knew it, she looked up from her feet and frowned. This wasn’t her apartment. She looked up the slightly worn down brick building and instantly recognized it at Reggie’s house. How did she even end up here? She had been doing an awful lot of wandering lately.

After standing there for a moment, she saw the front door creak open, Reggie appearing in the doorway.

“Julie? What’s up?” Reggie said excitedly.

“Hey, Reg,” Julie responded, slowly walking up the steps. “Sorry for coming by unannounced. I was just in the neighborhood.”

“No worries! Did we have a band rehearsal that I forgot about?”

“No… um…” Julie couldn’t think of the words to explain how she ended up there. She didn’t even know herself.

“Do you want to come in?” Reggie finally asked, gesturing to the door.

Julie sighed in relief, nodding her head. “Yes, I’d love that.”

They walked into Reggie’s home and went downstairs to the studio. It’s like Reggie knew exactly what Julie needed.

“So,” Reggie started, “Is everything okay?”

Julie didn’t know what came over her when she asked, “Can I use your piano? Please?”

Reggie looked taken aback, but his gaze softened when he realized how desperate Julie was. “Yeah, of course. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything, okay?”

“Thanks, Reg,” she replied gratefully, smiling back at him.

As Reggie retreated up the stairs to the house, Julie sat down at the piano. She suddenly felt compelled to play one of her mom’s songs. She learned very recently that once she had an inkling like this, an itching feeling to start playing again, she had to run with it. Thanks to Luke and the guys, and her best friend, she felt connected to music again. And now she was ready to connect with her mother’s memory.

She pulled her mother’s songwriting notebook out of her bag. She knew exactly which page to go to. Two years ago, before things got bad and her mom passed away, they were working on a song together. But they never got to finish it. Julie opened up to that page and felt her heart sink. If only her mother could be here with her, but she was gone. Julie held that pain inside of her for far too long, and now was her chance to honor her mother and finish the song.

Julie began reading the lyrics her mom had written, and before she knew it, her pen began scribbling all kinds of lyrics and piano chords. Her love for her mother and the inspiration that she had given Julie was flying off of the page. Julie didn’t even realize the tears flowing down her face from all of these emotions bubbling to the surface. Time flew by when Julie was invested in her music and writing; half an hour had passed before her eyes. She stared down at the completed song and smiled through the blur of tears still welled up in her eyes.

“Jules?” she heard a soft voice say. It wasn’t Reggie. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

Julie looked up to see Luke in the doorway of the basement, his hands folded in front of him nervously. Julie’s eyes widened as she quickly wiped away her tears and looked away from his gaze.

“Oh god, Luke! Hey,” she said shakily, shifting her position on the piano bench. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to see you crying. Is everything okay?” he asked, concerned, approaching the piano slowly.

“Yeah, kind of,” Julie replied, looking down at her mom’s notebook. “I wrote a song, actually. Well, I finished one.”

“That’s great,” Luke said, sitting down next to her, “I don’t want to intrude, but, can I see it?”

Julie hesitated for a moment but realized that Luke has already seen this vulnerable side of her. And that was the first day they met. They connected on an even deeper level now, weeks later. She knew she could trust him with anything.

“Yeah, yeah. Of course,” she replied, passing her mother’s notebook to him.

He looked down at the page, brows furrowed, concentrated. Julie could tell he was studying the lyrics, studying Julie.

“Is this about your mom?” he asked, curiously.

“Yeah,” Julie said, taking a deep breath, “When I was younger, every time I was going through something hard, she would write a little song for me. This one… we started writing it together, before she died. We never got to finish it. For some reason, I was so afraid to. I was terrified of facing it again. But I knew that if I finished this song, I would feel more connected to her.” Julie tried to hold back the tears, but she felt one fall down her cheek.

Luke looked at her with his big, sympathetic eyes, reaching up and wiping her tears away. “I definitely understand why you were so scared. But your music deserves to be shared with the world. It’s a beautiful song. I just know your mom would love how you finished it.”

Julie chuckled, looking down from Luke’s intense gaze. “Thanks, Luke.”

Suddenly Luke placed the notebook down on top of the piano and began playing the chords that Julie had written just minutes before. It felt so familiar, just like their first writing session.

“W-what are you doing?” Julie asked, suddenly anxious.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Luke said, reassuring her, “I’m right here with you, just like at the coffee shop. But this time, it’s just me and you. Trust me.”

And she did. She placed her hands on her lap, closed her eyes, and began to sing.

When you were asleep, And I was out walking  
The voices started to speak, And they wouldn't stop talking  
There were signs all around, It really got my mind racing  
You were right all along, Something's gotta change

Hold on  
Hold on they're not for me  
Hold on  
'Cause everything's coming up roses.

Luke added in his own twist on the piano chords, softly singing harmonies along with Julie’s soft voice.

As they sang the last note together, Julie opened her eyes and Luke was looking at her, leaning in close.

“That song… it’s beautiful, Jules,” he said. Her heart still fluttered when he used that nickname.

“Thanks, Luke,” Julie replied nervously. Luke noticed her fondling with her hands nervously, so he grabbed them and kissed them both tenderly.

“You know that song is going on the album, right?” he teased, breaking the tension. He laughed but she could tell he was being sincere.

“That doesn’t sound like a question.”

“That’s because it’s not. You do realize how incredibly talented you are, right? The world deserves to hear it, trust me.”

Julie broke Luke’s gaze for a moment, blushing at the compliment he just gave her.

“Hey,” he said in almost a whisper. Julie felt her heart skip a beat as Luke’s warm hand cupped her chin, gently pulling her head up to meet his eyes. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her lips.

Julie held her breath for a moment when she noticed Luke’s gaze move to her lips. She felt her face turn hot when his hand grazed her face, landing on her cheek.

“Is this okay?” he whispered, moving even closer.

“Yeah…” she breathed, looking down at his lips too.

Before she knew it, Luke closed the gap between them and kissed her. Julie felt her heart sink and suddenly come back to life with rapid beats. His lips were warm and patient, moving slowly and gently so as to not scare her away. Julie leaned into his touch and placed her hand on the side of his neck, returning the kiss. They both took their time with the kiss, savoring every part of it. It didn’t feel rushed or forced. Their shared moment felt safe. It felt like home.

They both pulled away breathless after a moment, Julie resting her forehead onto Luke’s. She didn’t want to let go.

“Wow,” Luke exhaled, grinning and chuckling slightly. “That was…”

“Yeah, I know,” Julie responded, knowing exactly what he meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience with this chapter. I made it a bit longer for your troubles. Hope it's worth the wait :)


	10. TEN

“So… you guys kissed,” Flynn said the next morning. Julie was filling her best friend in on the details.

“Yeah, we did,” Julie said, blushing as she thought back to their tender moment. “Was it too soon? It felt right, but I don’t know…”

“Are you kidding? Do you not remember me asking you weeks ago about the possibility of you two kissing? I haven’t even met the guy and I can feel the chemistry between you two.”

“Very funny, Flynn,” Julie scoffed, “I do remember. I don’t know… I just looked at him and he kissed me! And I kissed back, obviously. I like him, Flynn! I know it was probably obvious but I really like him.”

And Julie did like Luke. Like, a lot. And it wasn’t just about their emotional connection. Their connection through music brought them even closer. 

“It’s very obvious, sweetie,” Flynn jokes, affording a slap on the arm from Julie. “Okay, okay! Sorry for teasing. But seriously, when am I gonna meet this guy?”

“Oh yeah, about that! We need to meet up soon to start working on new songs, and the guys and I figured that it’s time for our promised collaboration.” Julie announced excitedly.

“Yes! Finally!” Flynn exclaimed, grabbing her best friend’s shoulders. “I feel like the guys are really gonna love what I have planned. They know I don’t sing, right?”

“Yes, they do,” Julie laughed, “But they do know you’re an excellent DJ and sound mixer. Alex is stoked to have you mix some beats on the drums with him.”

“That sounds great,” Flynn agreed with a huge smile. “An album! This is crazy.”

“Yeah…” Julie drifted off, “I still can’t believe it.”

“Speaking of crazy… there’s something I have to tell you, Jules.” Flynn started, a concerned look on her face as she avoided eye contact with Julie.

Julie’s heart sank in fear, worried for her best friend. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, great actually,” Flynn said, a smile slowly returning to her face, but she still wasn’t looking at Julie. “I’ve actually been seeing someone.”

“Aha! I knew it!” Julie exclaimed, pointing at Flynn with a teasing look. “So that’s why you’ve been sneaking around for weeks?”

“Wait, what?” Flynn said, confused at her friend’s accusation. “Sneaking around?”

“You’re not as slick as you think, honey,” Julie said. “Every time you’ve gone out on the weekends. I know you’re not just going to browse for new mixing equipment. We have rent to pay.”

“Okay, here it goes,” Flynn said softly to herself before looking up at Julie’s curious gaze, “You’re never gonna guess who it is.”

Julie thought for a second. Why would her best friend lie and sneak around with someone? It had to be someone that she knew Julie wouldn’t approve of. Then it hit her. Her stomach dropped at the name that popped into her head.

“Nick,” she whispered almost to herself, but Flynn was able to hear what she said.

“Julie, no! I would never. Oh my god, what kind of friend do you think I am?” Flynn said, desperate to assure her friend that she would never do such a thing.

“I don’t know, you made it seem like it could be him,” Julie said, her glassy eyes facing her lap.

“Well… it’s not Nick. But you’re pretty close.”

“What?” Julie exclaimed, sarcastically laughing at the end of her question, “Who could it be, then? Carrie?”

Julie looked at her friend with a joking gaze, but Flynn’s face was dead serious. She wasn’t saying a word.

“You’re kidding,” Julie said, staring blankly at Flynn. “Can you at least look at me when you admit that you’re dating the girl that broke up me and Nick?”

Julie couldn’t even believe what she was hearing. Or, what she wasn’t hearing. She wasn’t stupid. Flynn’s silence spoke a thousand words and they all pointed to betrayal. The emotions and pain that she felt not that long ago when she ended things with Nick came boiling back to the surface. Julie couldn’t take this anymore. She didn’t even want to hear Flynn’s possible, insane explanation for this. She got up from the couch and began walking towards their front door.

“Julie! Wait! Please let me explain.” Flynn pleaded. Julie turned around to see tears falling from her friend’s eyes.  
Julie turned around completely, crossing her arms. “Fine.” she agreed reluctantly.

“Okay, I know this is insane. But please hear me out.” Flynn began, “It all happened so suddenly. About a month ago-”

“A month?! You’ve been hiding this from me for that long?” Julie yelled, feeling the steam erupt from her ears.

“Please, please let me finish. I ran into Carrie downtown, like a month ago. I was pissed at her, trust me! But she begged me to hear her explanation.” Flynn paused for a minute to take in Julie’s reaction, which was still stern.

“Part of me wanted to hear her out. She said she didn’t even know that you two were together. She was crying the entire time. I’m sorry Jules, but I believe her. You’re right to be hurt by all of this, don’t get me wrong. But Nick is the bad guy here, not Carrie.”

Julie thought for a second. She didn’t even give Carrie the time of day when she caught her with Nick. She was way too heartbroken to even consider Carrie’s side of the story. She was still mad, of course, but she almost felt sorry for Carrie. She and Julie had been best friends when they were younger, but somewhere along the way, they grew apart. After that night with Nick, Julie had assumed that Carrie did it to get back at her for their friendship falling apart. But now, since the one person she trusts with anything claims that Carrie is genuinely sorry, she has to believe her, right?

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Julie finally muttered after a long moment of silence, “but how did you guys end up together?”

Julie saw her best friend begin to blush. “Well, after she explained everything to me involving that night, we ended up at a café and talked for hours. Catching up after not talking for years, especially after you two stopped being friends. It was nice. Then she asked me to hang out again, and we kept texting and hanging out, and I don’t know… it just happened.”

“Look Julie, I don’t expect you to be happy for me. I know you were hurt, and still are. But I hope you’ll forgive me one day. Carrie was really struggling with her identity, and all those times we hung out I helped talk her through it. She was struggling a lot. And now, she feels comfortable with me, with her sexuality.”

Julie sighed softly. “I’m still a little upset. But I can’t be mad about that. I actually am happy for you, I just wish you didn’t feel the need to keep it from me for so long.”

“Yeah, I know,” Flynn agreed, sadly, “I feel so horrible for that. But no more secrets, I promise.” Flynn held out her pinky towards Julie, to which Julie linked hers, both of them kissing their hands and laughing afterward.

“There’s that smile,” Flynn stated, enveloping her best friend in a hug. Julie returned it with a tight squeeze before pulling away and smiling lovingly.

“You’re still on thin ice, but you know I can’t stay mad at you for long,” Julie teased.

“Yeah, yeah I know,” Flynn responded, slumping back on the couch. “So… any chance you guys forgive the past and become friends?”

Julie narrowed her eyes at Flynn. “Eventually. It may be a bit too soon now, but if she makes you happy, I can’t hate her for that.”

And Julie meant exactly what she said. Flynn had been the greatest friend, especially through the tough times with her mom and Nick. She trusted her with everything. So, even if it took some time, she would muster up the courage to befriend Carrie again. Flynn’s happiness was too important to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update. Things in my life have been kind of hectic. But pretty soon I will be able to update much more regularly so stay tuned for that. Thanks for the support always!


	11. ELEVEN

Flynn was going on a date with Carrie that weekend so she couldn’t meet with the guys just yet, so Julie headed over to Reggie’s garage for rehearsals with the band alone. She was nervous to see Luke again. She hadn’t seen him since their kiss a few days before. They of course texted each other, sharing details about song ideas and sharing cute pictures of their food and other random things, but the kiss hadn’t come up. Did he regret it? Did he still consider her as a friend? She didn’t even know what they were. But Julie knew she had to focus on the music first and foremost. She couldn’t let the band down.

She approached the basement door (Reggie showed her the way a few weeks prior) and gave it a soft knock. The door opened to Alex’s beaming face, Reggie glancing over his shoulder from behind.

“Julie! Hey!” he greeted, pulling her in for a hug. Reggie soon joined in as well.

“Always great to see you, Julie.” Reg agreed.

“Hey, guys! Always a warm welcome from you too.” She said, muffled from her face being buried in Alex’s chest.

They all pulled away synchronously. Julie looked around and furrowed her brows. “Where’s Luke?”

Reggie and Alex gave each other knowing looks. “Figured you’d ask that,” Reggie responded with a smirk. “He went to pick up a few things but he’ll be here soon.”

“Cool,” Julie tried to play off her desperate question by roaming around the studio, avoiding eye contact with her bandmates.

“You know he’s crazy about you, right?” Alex said suddenly, to which Julie snapped her head around to listen.

“Um, r-really?” Julie responded, nervous to discuss her relationship with Luke with them. Or whatever it was.

“Oh, yeah. Music has been all he’s ever loved for years. Like, ever since we met when we were younger. We thought he’d never like anyone like he loves music.” Reggie added, nodding suggestively.

“But you, you’re different. You kind of brought him back to life after all the stuff with his family and the label.”

Julie blushed and looked away from the guys for a moment. She knew that she had helped Luke with their chance encounter many weeks ago, but she didn’t realize she had made such an incredible impact on his life. 

“Well, he did the same for me. I was afraid to go back to singing and writing after… you know.” And they did know. Julie filled them in on everything in her past on the first day she met them.

Suddenly the basement door creaked open. Everyone turned their heads to the door to see Luke step in slowly. Julie took in his appearance, gazing at his soft green eyes that coordinated with the blue sweatshirt that hung loose on his broad shoulders. His gaze met Julie’s, where he offered a soft smile, eyes glowing.

“Hey,” he said, softly, cheeks turning visibly pink, “Sorry I’m late.”

Before Julie could speak, Reggie chimed in. “No worries, man. It’s not like we were talking about you or anything.” Alex and Julie’s eyes widened at Reggie’s remark, affording Reggie a slap on the arm from Alex.

“Really?” Alex snapped in a whisper.

Julie laughed and took over. “It’s okay. We were just talking.”

“I-I actually wanted to talk to you about something, Jules,” Luke said nervously. There went that nickname.

“Oh, okay,” Julie responded, following him towards the other side of the studio.

Alex and Reggie gave each other suggestive looks and walked towards the stairs. “We’ll be upstairs. Take all the time you need,” Reggie teased, followed by another playful hit from Alex.

Luke and Julie both chuckled to themselves, facing each other.

“Your friends are insane,” Julie laughed, looking up at Luke. He was close. Like, really close.

“Hey, they’re your friends too now, you know,” Luke teased, wiggling his eyebrows at Julie.

They both laughed again, meeting each other’s eyes. Luke felt nervous. They were so close, just as they were the other day when they kissed for the first time.

Julie looked down at her feet and met Luke’s gaze again. “What is it?” she asked, so soft it was almost a whisper.  
Luke could feel the air from her words on his lips, sending a chill down his spine. “Look,” he started, looking down at his feet, “About the other day…”

“Oh, right,” Julie said quickly, nervous. Did he regret their kiss? She silently panicked in her head but tried not to make it too obvious.

“I hope I didn’t overstep the other day. I know you kissed me back and all, at least I think you did… but I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. That’s the last thing that I want.”

Julie audibly gasped, looking up at Luke’s mossy eyes. “Of course not. I was very comfortable. And for the record, I did kiss you back. You did remember correctly.”

Luke didn’t know what came over him, but he impulsively grabbed Julie’s small hand, wrapping it in his own. His other hand played with the colorful bracelets on her wrist. Julie felt his warm hands and fingers dance along her wrists, butterflies fluttering through her stomach.

Julie felt Luke take a deep breath. “That’s good to hear. I’m glad we’re on the same page, then.”

“Me too,” Julie chuckled.

“I know it’s only been a few weeks but, I’ve already told you. I can’t explain the connection I have with you. It’s more than music. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”

Julie’s heart just about jumped out of her chest at Luke’s words. “Yeah, I know. It’s never been like this for me, either. I love the music we’re making together, Luke. The guys are great. And you…” she trailed off, but Luke knew exactly what she meant.

Luke laughed in response, grasping both of her hands and bringing them up to his lips, imprinting a soft kiss on each of them with his eyes shut. He fluttered them back open to Julie staring back at him, her eyes glistening into his.

“So, shall we rehearse?” he asked, still holding onto her hands.

“Yeah, definitely. I actually wrote some lyrics that I wanted to show you,”

Luke teasingly gasped at her. “What?! Writing without me? How dare you.”

She laughed loudly, shaking her head. Julie suddenly went on her toes and leaned into Luke, placing her hands on his shoulders and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. She began walking towards the stairs, not looking back at Luke after the gesture.

“You guys can come down now. We know you’ve been standing there the whole time.” Julie yelled up the staircase.

Luke still stood in the same spot in silence, holding his cheek where Julie’s lips once were. Yeah, he was whipped.


	12. TWELVE

A few days later… 

Flynn was meeting the guys for the first time to discuss potential ideas for tracks for their album. Julie was sitting back for a moment, taking in the scene. She was witnessing the people she cared about the most experiencing music together; it was a beautiful thing.

Flynn and Luke hit it off immediately, bouncing ideas off of each other so rapidly the rest of them couldn’t keep up. Luke was writing rapidly in his notebook, fooling around and beatboxing to Flynn’s ideas for the sound and beats. Julie’s two favorite people bonding, just how she imagined it.

“Flynn, what do you think of this riff?” Luke asked, busting out a killer melody on his guitar. Flynn responded by nodding along to the rhythm of his skilled hands.

“Yeah, I like it!” she exclaimed, approaching her keyboard and launchpad. “Keep it up, I think I got something to go with it.” She began to play a slow beat and synth chords to go along with Luke’s guitar.

“That sounds killer, guys,” Reggie agreed, “And then I’ll come in with a little…” Reggie starts strumming on his bass to accompany Flynn and Luke.

Suddenly, Julie stood up, grabbed her mic, and felt the words flowing out.

“If I leave you on a bad note, leave you on a sad note  
Guess that means I’m buying lunch that day  
I know all your secrets, you know all my deep dish  
Guess that means some things they never, they never change  
We both know what I, what I, what I mean  
When I look at you it’s like I’m looking at me.”

And finally, Alex joined in with his drums.

It was that easy. They were playing a killer track, freestyle. Like they were meant to play together their whole lives. Julie sang her heart out along to her four best friends’ amazing melodies. It just felt right. As they ended the song, Julie found Luke’s eyes from across the studio, slowly approaching him at his stool while she sang along. Then she found her best friend, the one who’s been there for her all these years, in music and otherwise.

“My life, my life would be real low, zero  
Flying solo without you.”

Julie wrapped her arm around Flynn as she sang the final riffs to end the song. Flynn finished it out with some light piano chords, letting them ring out with Julie’s last note.

“Oh my god, guys?!” Luke yelled, jumping up from his seat. “What was that?”

“I don’t know, but whatever it was, we killed that!” Alex responded excitedly, standing and giving Reggie and Luke a fist bump.

Julie wrapped her other arm around Flynn and said. “Yeah, that was pretty amazing!”

“‘Pretty’ amazing? Jules… those lyrics? Where did they come from?” Luke asked, staring at her with wide, adoring eyes.

“It was a song I wrote about Flynn when she was helping me through the stuff with my mom. It’s also kind of about you guys. You’ve helped me so much these past few months, so yeah…”

“Oh, don’t act so humble, that was incredible. You have the voice of an angel.” Reggie agreed with a laugh, but he was definitely serious.

Julie scoffed and looked away from the group, blushing slightly. “Oh stop, Reg.”

“So,” Alex said, shifting the focus, “we’re definitely recording that, right?”

“Oh, definitely,” Luke agreed. “Flynn, whatever you did with that launchpad and keyboard was awesome. Where have you been all my life?” He joked, affording a laugh from Flynn.

“It sort of just came to me. It feels really great playing with you guys.”

And it did feel great, Luke thought to himself. He felt at home again, with this group, with Julie. Watching her sing and come alive behind the microphone was an experience that he could barely describe. Making music actually felt good. He almost forgot what it was like before he had met Julie all those weeks ago.

After running through the song again and adjusting a few things with the sound, they wrapped up rehearsal for the day. Luke checked his phone. It was only 4 pm. So he had an idea.

Julie was gathering her things over at the piano, stuffing her song notebook into her bag. Luke approached her nervously, hands in his pockets.

“Hey, Julie,” he said, slightly shaky with his words. “Are you doing anything after this?”

“She most certainly is not,” Flynn interrupted, eavesdropping on their started conversation.

“Flynn,” Julie snapped, sharply pointing at the door and hoping that Flynn would catch the hint.

Right, Flynn mouthed, gathering her things and waving off her friend.

“So… are you?” Luke asked with a questioning look. “Free right now, I mean?” He felt nervous for some reason. He was just acting confident around her when they performed. Why was it so different now?

“Yes, yes. Of course. What did you have planned?”

“Well,” Luke started, looking into Julie’s rich brown eyes. They still made him melt. “I wanted to show you my favorite spot in Echo Park. It’s where I go to write sometimes when I feel sort of smothered by the city, you know?”

“That sounds great. Ready to go?” Julie said with a soft smile, hauling her bag over her shoulder.

“Cool, it’s a date,” Luke said, confidently this time. He grabbed Julie’s hand firmly and they were out the door.

“So here’s my spot,” Luke said with a proud smile, gesturing to an overgrown oak tree with his free hand. Julie studied it along with the ground beneath it, taking in the scene. Today was a perfect day. The chilly wind from winter was still lingering in the air, tickling their noses. The sun shone just right, concealed perfectly by the tree in Luke’s favorite spot. He was right; it was perfect.

“Wow,” Julie sighed in awe, “This is perfect.” She squeezed Luke’s hand in reassurance and took a seat beneath the tree. Luke followed suit.

The tree was large enough for both of them to lean on comfortably, but of course, they had to lean into each other, too.

“I used to come here all the time when my career first started. Before that, even. Anytime I needed some extra inspiration, I’d sit under this tree. There’s something about this place, it just feels right.”

Julie gave Luke an encouraging look, nodding at him to keep going. She knew how difficult it was for him to open up.

“When things started falling apart, after the stuff with my parents, I spent almost all day in this very spot. But nothing happened. I couldn’t write a word. I couldn’t put all those emotions I was feeling about my parents and my career into words. That’s when I knew I was lost. This probably sounds like nonsense…”

Julie quickly turned towards Luke and grabbed his hand again. They really couldn’t lose touch with each other. “Luke, no. Don’t ever say that, okay? Your feelings make sense. Especially to me. We both felt lost, remember? If anyone knows what it’s like to lose touch with the one thing that actually kept you sane, it’s me. Trust me.”

“I do,” Luke sighed, looking back up at Julie’s comforting eyes, “Trust you. More than anyone.”

“Good,” she smiled, returning to her position leaning on Luke’s broad shoulder.

They sat in silence for a moment, taking in the environment around them. She really did feel comfortable with Luke. Yes, she got nervous around him. But when it came to their music, their bond, she felt at home. She knew she could tell him anything or show him any lyric and he would listen, no judgment. 

“Have you ever been inspired by a place you’ve never been to?” Julie blurted, out of the blue.

Luke looked down at her. She was staring out at the open park, taking in the scene. But Luke could tell that Julie was thinking intensely about something.

“Depends,” Luke answered, “what do you mean?”

“It’s stupid,” Julie said shamefully, shaking her head. “I don’t know…”

Luke reached his fingers toward her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes. “It’s not stupid. You can tell me anything.”

Julie chuckled softly. “You know how Hollywood is the place to go if you want to make it? That’s what most people think at least… Well, I grew up here. I’ve lived in Los Angeles all my life. Of course, I’m still inspired by it. But I want something new, something different, you know?”

Julie paused and studied Luke’s reaction. He simply nodded in understanding and silently encouraged her to continue.

“I’ve always dreamed of visiting New York. I’ve seen it in pictures and movies, but I’ve never been able to experience the city. It’s a totally different pace than LA. The sounds, the smells. I know it’s so different from here. The music I’d be able to write there… I can’t even describe it, Luke. That city seems like a dream and I’ve never been.”

As Julie described New York, Luke studied her expressions. She closed her eyes and talked with her hands, speaking so passionately about a place she hasn’t even been to. This is the girl that inspired him to enjoy music again, to enjoy life. She made him feel warm and fuzzy inside like no one ever had before. So, he knew what he had to do.

Once Julie finished speaking, she stared at Luke, who was staring right at her. They were so close their noses were almost touching. Julie felt her cheeks get warm.

“What is it? What are you thinking?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at his suspicious silence.

Luke felt a rush of courage. “Let’s go,” he said, holding his gaze with Julie’s, “Me, you, Flynn, the band. Let’s finish our album there.”

Julie’s eyes widened. She pulled away from Luke’s shoulder and sat up. “What? A-are you crazy?”

Luke sat up along with her, springing up onto his feet. “Yes, I am. We’ve already established that. But, come on! If you think New York will inspire you as much as you say it will, then we can’t miss out on that. You’re the reason I wanted to make this album in the first place. And you can’t tell me that Flynn and the guys wouldn’t be down for a trip across the country.”

Julie looked down for a second, in awe. She couldn’t believe he was considering doing all of his just for her. Her heart fluttered at the thought of being in her favorite city with Luke. 

“You’d really do that, for me?” Julie asked, genuinely surprised that anyone would make a gesture this huge, this meaningful.

Luke extended his hand to her, pulling her up on her feet, not letting go of her hand. “Of course. You know I’d do anything for you, right?”

Julie couldn’t speak. So she crashed into Luke, wrapping her arms around his firm shoulders. She felt his hands snake around her waist, face tucked into the side of her neck. He sighed in content, breath warm on her neck and face.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Anytime, Jules,” he responded softly. “But you know this isn’t just for you, right? We all get a free vacation out of this.”

Julie scoffed, hitting Luke on the shoulder, but she didn’t let go of him. And he didn’t either. They could stay like that forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The band is going to New York! This is the part of Begin Again I was the most excited to incorporate into my story, so I hope you guys are excited too. More coming soon! Thanks for all the support as always.


	13. THIRTEEN

Luke hated flying. Like, with a passion. He was lucky that his career didn’t get too big before it started declining. He didn’t know how much flying he could handle with a potential tour. And it wasn’t even just flight anxiety. Yes, he was terrified of the thought of crashing into the ocean and plummeting to his potential death. But it was the stuffy air, the cramped seats, the lack of entertainment. The entire experience made Luke’s stomach crawl.

“Hey, you OK?” came a soft voice from his right side. Julie. All of his animosity towards flying disappeared as long as she was by his side. She looked up at him with soft eyes and squeezed his hand, sending a frenzy of sparks up his arm and throughout his body.

He smiled, genuinely. “Yeah, I’m fine. I usually hate flights but…” he trailed off, getting lost in her eyes. He suddenly forgot what he was afraid of.

“Yeah?” Julie whispered, getting closer to his face, eyes fluttering shut.

“Forget it,” he said playfully, closing the gap between them.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Reggie yelled from across the aisle, forcing the two to quickly separate and glare at their friend and bandmate. He was toeing the line of “friend,” though.

“What is it, Reggie?” Luke asked through his teeth, obviously annoyed.

“Well, Alex and I were discussing the album, as one should,” Reggie started, completely unfazed by Luke’s impatient and irritated expression. “And we were thinking, now hear me out.”

“Just spit it out, Reg,” Julie said, gesturing quickly with her hands.

“Let me handle this,” Alex chimed in, patting his friend on the chest, “So Luke, I know you already booked us a slot at that recording studio. So grateful for the connections, don’t get me wrong, but, we’re going to New York City! Shouldn’t we capture some of the essences of the city, too?”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Flynn asked from behind Julie.

“Well, we have all the equipment we need to record anywhere we want. We could get the same sound in that studio that we could back in Reggie’s studio. So, why don’t we record, I don’t know, everywhere?” Alex looked around at the group’s faces, all of them still screwed in confusion.

“Like, in the subway station, at the park, on a brownstone rooftop. Let’s capture the city in our songs. It’ll be perfect, right?”

“Dude, that’s genius,” Luke reassured his bandmate. “It’s gonna sound awesome!” He reached over Julie and high-fived Alex and Reggie.

“Let’s just hope you guys don’t get fined, or worse, arrested,” Carrie responded. Oh. Julie almost forgot that Flynn let Carrie tag along on the trip. It was still awkward between them. Not hostile, just weird and quiet. Julie looked over her seat at Carrie, who was already looking at her. She quickly turned in her seat and sighed in relief.

“Everything OK?” Luke asked, leaning into Julie’s side.

“Yeah, perfect actually,” Julie responded, resting on his shoulder. Hopefully, she could get some rest before landing. They were going to be hard at work as soon as their feet hit the east coast soil.

“Hey,” Luke said suddenly, “I know we’re going to be working hard on the album and everything, but I was hoping we could do something. Just the two of us?”

Julie looked up and Luke’s shining green eyes. She could get lost in them forever.

She nodded. “Yeah, I would love to.”

“Sweet.” Luke smiled, “After all, it is your favorite city you’ve never been to.”

The band had been in New York City for a few days. Julie was almost brought to tears by the city. It was so much more beautiful than the pictures and movies she had seen throughout her life. The air felt different in her lungs, the pavement felt different under her feet. The sounds of the morning work rush, the whooshing subway from beneath, the cars rolling by. That’s what she loved the most. Yes, there were rats. Some streets smelled like sewage. There was the occasional creepy guy on the street giving her a weird look, but she didn’t care. She had Luke by her side. She had her amazing best friend and her amazing band. Things couldn’t be better.

As soon as they landed in the city, they went right to work, just as Julie predicted. Everyone was able to scrounge up enough money to rent out a studio so they could rehearse before actually going out to record their songs. And, they were right about the city inspiring them right away. They were completely running with Alex and Reggie’s genius idea to record the rest of their album outside in the city. It was the perfect plan. A few hours after landing, the group was restless. They were ready to record right away. So, they headed to Washington Square Park and recorded “Edge of Great,” a song that Julie and Luke wrote together a few days before their trip had begun. 

“That this moment was ours to own, ‘cause we’re standing at the edge of great,” Julie hummed to herself. 

She couldn’t stop thinking about that night. The sun was setting. There was a small crowd of people that weren’t paying much attention (“It’s New York,” Reggie said, “People kinda get used to this kind of stuff.”). But, as soon as they hit record and began to play, something about their energy, about their sound, began to catch the onlookers’ attention. This made the group feel even more alive. 

And, Luke. The moments they shared performing together was something that Julie couldn’t describe. Their energy was electric. They were able to be completely themselves. And the creativity flew out of them so easily. During their performance that evening, while Julie sang the bridge, Luke needed that connection to last forever, so he improvised a beautiful guitar solo. Flynn, Reggie, and Alex gave each other looks of astonishment during this encounter. They were blown away by how captivating it was to see Julie and Luke perform together. Julie still felt that feeling in her chest after they finished performing. The sound of the applause, catching the eyes of all of her bandmates. They didn’t say a word. And they didn’t need to. They were all thinking the same thing: “The universe brought us together for a reason. This is what we are meant to do.”

The group was enjoying a day off from recording and rehearsing to relax and recharge. Julie was sitting on the fire escape outside of her and Flynn’s shared hotel room. She felt like a true New Yorker in that moment, remembering her favorite shows and movies where the characters would sit on their fire escapes, contemplating their lives. She looked out at the sky. The sun was set, but the light was still lingering behind the clouds. A slight breeze nipped at her skin and sent chills up her spine in the best way. 

“Psst!” Julie suddenly heard from her right side. She gasped in shock but sighed in relief when she realized it was Luke peeking his head out from the fire escape right next to her. He and the boys were sharing the room right next door to her’s. 

Julie held her heart as she attempted to catch her breath from the scare. “Luke, you scared me.”

He chuckled, flashing a bright grin. “Sorry, I saw you through the window so I wanted to come out here. Say hi, you know.” Luke let out a slight chuckle as he retreated back to the center of his fire escape, brown hair flopping around.

“You were watching me through the window? Weirdo.” Julie teased, sending a rush of red to Luke’s cheeks.

“I mean… I-I wasn’t watching you, but-”

“Hey, I was kidding!” Julie exclaimed, giggling loudly, “This is an interesting look on you, Luke. You’re usually so cool and confident.”

“Oh, Jules, you know the effect you have on me.” Luke’s words made her completely melt on the spot.

“So,” Julie started, desperate to change the subject, “I’ve talked your ear off about the city, how much I love it. Are you happy? Here, I mean?”

“Yeah, of course!” Luke answered happily. “I’m here with my band and my favorite girl. I’ve been to New York before, but this time, it’s different, you know? I feel more inspired than ever before. I’ve got some pretty great company.”

“Yeah,” Julie remarked softly, “I definitely know what you mean. Like, singing with you weeks ago in that coffee shop was incredible, of course. But this? I’ve never felt so…”

“Alive?” Luke finished her sentence as he noticed Julie trailing off. “Yeah, me too.”

They both looked at each other for a second, both taking in synchronous deep breaths. The silence between them spoke as loud as the words from before. There were a few feet of distance between them, but they felt close as ever.

“Hey,” Luke said suddenly, so soft but loud enough for Julie to hear over the wind, “Wanna get out of here?”

Julie turned her head and furrowed her brows. “What did you have in mind?”

“You’ll see. Meet me downstairs in 10?”

Julie nodded hesitantly, both scared and excited for what Luke was planning in that insane head of his.

“Sweet. Oh, and bring some headphones.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update! My personal life has been a bit hectic. But school is almost out so that means I can update more frequently. Thanks for your patience and thanks for supporting as always. I'm so grateful for all of the love for this story! <3


End file.
